The whole idea of modern education is rapidly being turned on its head. In some ways, this process is expected to be good for education as we head towards the future. A modern world is simply a very different place than the world of twenty or even ten-years ago. Students heading into the workforce are realizing that the education they have received in past years has not really prepared them for the demands they are facing at work. For this reason, many students are turning to alternative methods of education to ensure they have the skills necessary to compete in their industry of choice.
Just Get Any Old Job
A major alternative to the traditional 4-year degree path has many individuals jumping on any job they can get fresh out of high school. Simply getting work experience is certainly a great way to gain the hands on education and skills necessary for moving into a better job down the road. According to article posted here, unless a person intends on going into a STEM-related field of study and career, then a 4-year college degree will likely not be worth the money spent on such an endeavor. In light of such a revelation, on the job experience may serve such individuals far better in their employment pursuits.
A Shift Towards Online Certifications
Since a lot of modern employers prefer to pay less per hour for the same amount of work they get from a qualified degreed employee, the idea of online certificate programs that rapidly prepare students with relevant job skills is on the rise. Students are able to learn rapidly, yet at their own pace, and save huge amounts of money in the process by avoiding the high cost of traditional university degrees. In addition, the rapidly achieved certifications they can grab in their off time look good on a resume.
IT Courses
Since it is so easy to enroll in online courses these days, it is recommended that people in nearly every industry get some IT courses under their belt. Numerous industries deal with computers and networks in one capacity or another. Anyone having gone through even entry level IT courses will stand to be more in demand than those who do not have any IT experience. Keep in mind that the employee who is the person everyone around the office depends on to get their computers to work properly is the employee that has solid job security.
Starting a Business
If a person wants a true education, without the high dollar price tag, then starting a business will provide an individual with one of the strongest educations around. Even people who fail miserably at their first business or two will undoubtedly learn valuable lessons along the way. Additionally, they will learn to be competent in skills they will not get in any classroom. Doing the books, marketing the products or services and troubleshooting the daily business problems an entrepreneur faces will force a young business owner to swim in order to avoid sinking. What is even more beneficial is that so many free educational resources exist today to help eliminate barriers that made it more difficult to get a business up and running in the past. Thousands of books exist that walk people step-by-step through the process of starting and maintaining a business. There simply is no law that says a person has to attend Harvard before they can start their own business. In fact, a lot of people learn by doing that owning and operating a small business is both easy and financially rewarding.
Conclusion
Education, as people understand it, is taking on a whole new life of its own in our modern world. People are rapidly learning that it is not always necessary to go down the traditional path of learning and getting a degree to become a highly skilled employee or employer. The world has reached a point where nearly anyone can obtain the resources to educate themselves through alternative means at a far lower cost than in years past. Entire college level courses can be watched on popular sites like Youtube in a person’s spare time. This leaves people with little excuse to remain uneducated in any field in which they desire to be competent.
